THE EX-GERMAN EMPEROR [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Your
articles by the German ex-Emperor arc exceed:, ingly interesting, but may I be permitted to ask (as a French- woman, who probably carries logic too far !) whether it should be the ” German ex-Emperor or, as you have it, the " ex- German Emperor " ? He is still German, but no longer Emperor. But this may be due to a subtlety of language which escapes the foreigner.—I am, Sir, &c.,
HORTENSE SELLON.
Sunnicol, Kettlebaston, Ilildeston, Ipswich.
[We admit that " German ex-Emperor " would be less open to objection than " ex-German Emperor." The form " ex- German Emperor " can, however, easily be defended. " Ger- man Emperor " is in itself a title. It is not wrong therefore to prefix the " ex " to the whole title instead of to half of it, Indeed, we can imagine some formalists refraining from splitting the title as zealously as they refrain from splitting an infinitive. No doubt " ex-German Emperor " presents an ambiguous look to the eye because the " ex " is attached to the German" by a hyphen. If there were a second hyphen the whole thing would seem less doubtful. We have received several letters on this subject which prove that our readers take a commendable interest in correctness of writing even in small details. One correspondent suggests that in order to avoid ambiguity we ought to have written " ex-Emperor of Germany," but that would be manifestly wrong. The whole point of the settlement between the German. States at the end of the Franco-German War was that the King of Prussia, in becoming Emperor, should be styled " German Emperor," not Emperor of Germany.— En. Si/Peek/10T.]
Previous page
